\ - ^S • VI 




OCCASIONAL PAPERS 



OF THE 



BERNICE PAUAHI BISHOP MUSEUM OF 

POLYNESIAN ETHNOLOGY AND 

NATURAL HISTORY 



Vol. \U, Xo. 10 
With Plates XVII-XIX 

FISH POISONING IN THE 
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS 

with 

Notes on the Custom in Southern Polynesia. 

By 

JoHx F. G. Stokes 




HONOLULU, HAW AH 

Bishop Museum Press 
1921 



^i 



OCCASIONAL PAPERS 



OF THE 



BERNICE PAUAHI BISHOP MUSEUM OF 

POLYNESIAN ETHNOLOGY AND 

NATURAL HISTORY 



Vol. VII, No. 10 
With Pl.^tes XVII-XIX 



FISH POISONING IN THE 
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS 

with 

Notes on the Custom in Southern Polynesia. 

By 

John F. G. Stokes 



honolulu, hawaii 

Bishop Museum Press 

1921 



"^ 



z 



G^'^' 

^i 



Digitized by tine Internet Archive 
in 2011 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/fishpoisoninginhOOstol< 



Fish-Poisoning in the Hawaiian Islands 

With Notes on the Custom in 
Southern Polynesia 

Bv Joiix F. G. Stokics. 



HoLA, FiSH-PoisoNixc. IX Mawah. 

One of the many methods of fishing- practiced by llawaiians 
was the hola, a term which signifies: (1) the material as pre- 
pared for fishing, (2) the particular system of fishing, (3) to take 
tish by poison. As the food of the Hawaiians consisted largely of 
fish, they, like other Polynesians, w-ere expert fishermen. Not only 
were their fishing implements well developed, but their working 
knowledge of the habits of the local fishes was remarkably good. 
It may seem surprising, therefore, that a people so largely depend- 
ent on fish food should resort to a method which with the 
mature fish destroyed also the immature. But this c|uick and cer- 
tain means of taking- fish being carried on during only part of the 
year, the damage to the fishing inrlustry was probably not so great 
as might be expected. 

The natives state that the poison most frequently used for 
hola-fishing was obtained froni two plants, auluihu^ and akia (see 
p. 226 ) , and that they were prepared in the same way — commin- 
uted by beings pounded with stones. The resulting mass was en- 
closed in various kinds of packages and then quickly applied. It is 
the odor emanating from the freshly crushed vegetation that af- 
fects the fish, according to the native idea, and so no time was 
wasted. It would seem that the strength as well as the odor of the 
hola was soon dissipated and that the poison quickly lost its efifect. 

^ The toxic principle of aiihuhu, as identified recently in a preliminary 
study of the plant by Mr. C. E. Warriner, chemist of the Hawaiian Sugar 
Planters' Association, is Glucoside. It is hoped that an exhaustive investi- 
gation of the vegetable poisons used by the Hawaiians may be undertaken 
in the near future. 

[3] (219) 



220 Pish-Poisoin'jii:: in the Hawaiian Islands 

Tlu' tishin-- was done in frcsh-walcr streams, on reefs, along 
rocky shores, and in tidal pools. In stream fishing a dam was 
built across a brook — few Hawaiian streams are more than moun- 
tain brooks — and the liola was placed in the stream above. It is 
said that very large catches of gobies and shrimps were taken 
with dip nets in the newly formed i)ool. According to some ac- 
counts the mud was stirred up when the poison was placed in the 
stream, as the mere (listm-l)ance of the mud had the etTect of dis- 
lodging the fish. The same method was used in driving* fish down 
stream to l)e caught by sieve-weirs. 

In sea fishing along the shores and the reefs, the Jiola was 
enclosed in loose packages made of grass, of aa niu f sheath fibre 
of coco palm-leaf stems), or possibly of some other porous mate- 
rial. In later times an ordinary sack was employed. The package 
was ])lace(l for a few minutes at the mouth of a hole where fish 
were known t(^ be, or was passed slowly along the base of a large 
lx)ulder. The fishing was always confined to a small area, for on 
coming- in. contact with the narcotic, the fish that could escape 
naturally darted into the oi)en and were caught in a seine placed 
for the purpose. Some fishermen dispensed with the seine and 
took tlie chance of catcliing tlie fleeing fish with dip nets. Most of 
the fish, according to the report of the natives, were overcome so 
quickly l)y the poison that they could not escape and were taken 
witli the hand or dip net. Occasionally the package of Jwla was 
attached to a stick for more convenient application. 

While at 1 lonaunau, on the Island of 1 lawaii, the writer had an 
o])portunity of witnessing the process of ])reparing Jwla and later 
tlie use of it in a tidal i)ool. It came al)out in this way. In many 
l)laces along the shore the surface of the ancient lava flow showed 
unmistakable marks of ]:)ounding. Markings were found in an ir- 
regular belt following the line of the sea and extending inland 
about a luuub-ed feet. The natives explained that these markings 
were v.here auhiihn, one of the plants used for fish-poisoning, had 
been ])oun(le(l. and that the use of the i)lant had continued until 
goats exterminated it in that vicinity. The natives then described 
the i)rocess in detail. .\s further in(|uiry brought out the informa- 
ti(^n that auhnliu could be obtained in a cattle pasture at Kauleoli, 

U] 



Fish-Poisoiu'jiQ- {ti the Ihm'aiian Islands 221 



two miles to the south, arrangements were made for a temporary 
revival of the destructive ancient practice. 

Four men were despatched to gather auJiuhu, and after an 
absence of three hours they returned with four bundles containing 
in all 128 plants. The plants were in tiower and fruit and were 
complete, having been pulled u]) b)- the roots ; they ranged in 
height from 1>^ to 2]/. feet. (See Plates X\'II A and XIX B.) 

At low tide, the men went to the shore, taking with them the 
auhiihu, two dip nets, a small seine, two sticks, and a sack. The 
sticks were not for driving out the fish from crannies — the poison 
did that ; they were a means of defense against eels, which were 
greatly feared. The men had prepared themselves for sea fishing, 
but knowing the difficulty of photographing objects in the waves, 
the native foreman directed them to a pool called Kekuai'o, in 
which, it was said, many large fish had been taken. This pool was 
irregularly oval in shape, with a surface nieasurement of 22 by 26 
feet. The depth varied from 1 to 3 feet. At low tide the waves 
lapped in at one corner, but at high tide they swept strongly 
through the pool. There were three small rocks standing up in 
the pool and many crevices in its sides. When first examined, it 
seemed without fish, except for oluia-, which are to be seen in all 
the tidal pools. The only interference by the writer in what fol- 
lowed (except for the necessary pauses for photographing) was to 
remind the men that grass had not been brought for the packages. 
The men set to work on a level portion of the lava flow, 20 feet 
distant from the pool. The bundles were thrown down, untied, 
and pounded as they lay (Plate X\'II A). The pounders were 
rough stones, averaging 15 pounds in weight, selected witlKvjt 
especial care. Each man proceeded with his work according to his 
own idea, one of the two older men beginning at the blossom end 
of the bundle and the other at the roots. After ten minutes, all 
the leaves, seed-pods, and twigs were broken ofif and the bark of 
the stems was loosened. The bark was then rapidly and cleanly 
peeled from the stems and roots, and the wood was discarded 



"Young of the maiiiiii (Hefatiis saiidzicoisis), called oliua until about 
sVa inches in length. The Hawaiians daily catch great quantities with dip 
nets for food. 

[5] 



222 Fish-roisoniin^ in flic Hawaiian Islands 

(Plate X\J1 /)). The mass was again pounded, until it was re- 
duced to tile fineness of chaff. It was then gathered up very care- 
fully, even to the scraping of the matted fibre from the bedrock, the 
whole process of ix)unding taking- twenty minutes. The resulting 
liola was a dark rich green in color, and was slightly moist to the 
touch. 

The hola and grass were carried quickly to the edge of the 
pool. The grass was taken u\) in small bunches, which were bent 
and twisted roughly into "spoons", and a double handful of hola 
was placed in the bowl of each (Plate X\'III .-/). The employ- 
ment of the g-rass was to avoid the bites of eels. As rapidly as 
possible the filled spoons were thrust under the rocks and into the 
holes in the sides of the |X)ol, and were then withdrawn, leaving 
the hola behind (Plate XMII B). The spoons were quickly re- 
filled and re-emptied. l)ut the}- held together for only about three 
dips, after which the men used their bare hands — apparently there 
was insufficient time to make new six3ons. Throughout, the actions 
of the men were very quick, as rapid as the needs of photograph- 
ing would ])ermit : they seemed anxious to get the hola into the 
water in the freshest condition jxissible. The stain from the hola 
had the strong green tint of stagnant salt water. It spread grad- 
ually through the i)()ol. beginning to show within half a minute. 
P)efore the hola was all placed in the water (the oi)eration taking 
about five minutes) some fish were seen making their way to the 
entranre of the pool, which w^as thereupon blocked by dropping 
the seine on it in a heap. 

Within ten minutes after the first immersion of the poison, 
tlie fish (except the eels) were swimming about aimlessly, or float- 
ing either on or below the surface of the water. Many were taken 
with the hand, but most of them with the dip nets. In fifteen min- 
utes all the fish in sight had been gathered except the eels, which 
were resistant to the full eft'ects of tlie poi.son.'' Some of the lat- 
ter began to wriggle out of the i)ool. It was sur])rising to note that 
the >mall ohiia seemed to be aft'ected much more slowly than the 
other and larger fishes. Another point of interest was the cpiantity 

' A similar condition was noted on Ponape. Christian, F. \\'., The 
Caroline Islands. ]>. ij6. London. i8(x;. 

16] 



Pish-Poisojiini^ in the Ilaz^'aiian Islands 223 

and diversity of the fishes which sckmi appeared in the pool from the 
various crevices. The specimens were all small, the longest eel 
measuring- 20 inches, and the longest of the other fishes 6 inches. 
Observations on the drugging were greatly hindered by the unex- 
pected interest of the spectators, mostly women and children from 
Ilonaunau village. These Hawaiians, instinctive fishers, naturally 
became much excited when the fish began to swim around in a 
dazed and ''catchable" condition. Women and children piled into 
the pool, clothes and all, in a desire to help, and caught fish right 
and left with the greatest glee. The light was too dull to photo- 
graph except with time exposure, or the very animated scene might 
have been visually recorded. 

An incident that occurred during the hola fishing at Honanau 
illustrates a marked Hawaiian characteristic — the desire to please. 
After the first excitement had calmed dowai, and the fish had been 
sorted, named, and counted, the men were posed for their photo- 
graph with their somewdiat insignificant catch (Plate XIX A). 
Just before the plate was exposed, the man on the left seized his 
stick, and jumping behind the rock wdiere his father was standing, 
began to poke vigorously in the water. He was ordered back, as it 
was supposed he was merely chasing another fish. During a second 
pose he repeated the performance, and was called back wdth a severe 
reprimand. Xo explanation was given. On the third attempt to 
photograph the movement began again, and then an eel came flying 
through the air, kicked out of the water by the vigorous old man. 
This eel, the cause of the disturbance, was one of the kind called 
piihi ivela-wela (=hot) because its bite causes a ''hot wound" — 
and the patient fellows were doing their best to be accommodating 
while the half-drugged eel was swimming around their bare feet ! 

One and a half hours after the proceedings described, the pool 
was again visited. Fresh sea water had meanwhile entered and 
made a clear border two feet w'ide along one side of the pool. It 
contrasted very strongly wdth the green tint of the poisoned water. 
In the clear water there were a number of active ohua — appar- 
ently recent arrivals from the ocean. Half as many more fish as 
previously taken were seen lying dead on the bottom, including 
some eels. Other eels, however, w^ere still struggling in the 

[7] 



224 



I'isli-Poisouijii^ ill the I hrc^'uiiaii Islands 



(lrui4Jj;e(l water or had moved on to the dry rocks. One of these 
placed for ten minutes in clear water to see if it would revive gave 
no sign of life. 

Most of the dead fish were ohiia, from one to two inches long. 
It is ]x)ssil)le that they were overlooked previously on account of 
the excitement and the stained, but not turbid water. It is more 
probable, however, that they survived longer through greater 
power of resistance to the drug, as in the beginning their slowness 
to succumb had l)cen noticeable. A holothurian in the pool and 
mollusks clinging to the sides did not appear to be affected, but it 
was difficult to make sure of their condition. 

A list of the fishes caught is given herewith under their local 
names on the Island of Hawaii. There were 126 specimens iden- 
tified, with the aid of the United States Fish Commissioner's Re- 
port for 1903, as 17 species. 

List of fishes taken at Iloiiannau. 

Number Number 

first lot second lot 

Aeaea 5 

Aholehole, Kuhlia inalo 18 

Alaihi, Ilolocentrus sp 25 1 

Aloiloi 2 

Kikakapu, Chaetodon sp 5 

Kupipi, Abudefduf sordidus 3 

Mamo 2 

Manini, Hepatus sandvicensis....! 2 

Ohua '' '' ...\ 20 

Xunu, Aulostonuis valentini 1 1 

Palemo 3 2 

l*auu. Myripristis chryseres 1 

I'uawowo .- 1 

Puhi wela (eel) 3 10 

I'uhi uha kalakoa (eel) 1 3 

Pulii paka (eel) 1 

rpa])alu, Amia menesema 5 

Uu 1 



85 



«si 



41 



fisli-Poisoiiiiig in the I lai^'uiiaii Islands 225 

All the fish, except the eels, were taken home for food by the 
natives. The men said that they did not treat such fish differently 
in any way from those caught by other means, and that they were 
personally in no degree affected by the liola, neither during the 
pounding nor after eating the fish. Most, if not all, of the kinds 
of fish taken are customarily eaten raw without preparation. Some 
of the Oahu natives say that hola gives a bitter taste to fish en- 
trails, which on this account are removed before the meal. In dis- 
cussing the effect of fish poisons the natives have always appeared 
to think that what would kill fish would also kill human beings if 
taken internally, and yet they did not hesitate to eat the poisoned 
fish. It is true that there is a case on record of a woman having 
been killed by an infusion of aiiliuhu, akia, and leaves of ipii awa- 
awa administered in azm which she drank. "^ The native account is 
that she drank the au^a and detecting an unusual bitterness de- 
clared that she had been poisoned. The story goes that she died 
shortly afterwards. As the Polynesians, however, were subject to 
self-hypnosis, it is possible that the woman died of fright. Aiva 
itself is bitter, and one Hawaiian herbalist gave the information 
that auhiihu and akio were administered as human poison in azva, 
as the azva disguised the odor of the other ingredients. 

The writer tested the effect of auhiihu on himself by chewing 
twigs, leaves, and seeds, but no uncomfortable effects were ob- 
served except a slight parching of the throat for the rest of the 
day. 

In regard to the effect of auliuhu on animals, inquiries of ranch- 
men on Hawaii brought out the opinion that it is harmless to horses 
and cattle, although one ranchman said that some of his stock had 
been poisoned by eating the weed. The goat drivers when ques- 
tioned said that neither goats nor cattle were affected by the poison 
in the plant. It would seem therefore that aiihiihu, at least, has 
little or no harmful effect on the systems of warm-blooded animals, 
but the question is still a mooted one. 



* Wilkes, U. S. Exploring Expedition, vol. 4, pp. 30, 31, Philadelphia, 
1844. 

[9] 



226 J-'ish-T'oisotiiiii:; in the //ci:caiia)i fslainis 

I'l.AN'lS rSl'l) IX HOLA I'lSllIXC. 

The ])laiits used 1)\' llawaiians in liola-fisliin,^" were auhuJui 
frr/^lirosia f'isratoria Pers. = T. purpurea Pers. ) and akia (Ulk- 
strociuia sp. ), the former beino- the more hii^iily prized. Indeed 
most of tlie he'ter informed Hawaiians say that these were the only 
sources of fish poison. One rehal)le informant, liowever. added 
the hitter c^ourd ipu aicaazca (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) to the Hst 
and explained that akia was not a very stroni^ poison. Akia alone 
was sufficiently ])owerful to kill small fish, but to kill lar^^e ones the 
leaves or fruit i)ulp of the ipu awaaz^'a were combined with it. 

ITillebrand' mentionel a~a'a (Piper mctJiysficum Forst. ) as a fish 
poison, but no confirmation of such use is obtainable from natives 
today. They say that azi'a was used by fishermen, but ridicule the 
idea of wasting- it on hsh. It is possible that llillebrand had in 
mind the traditional custom of "feeding-" a7ca to sharks in the pro- 
cess of "creating" shark gods. Rock^ adds the anapauapa or ku- 
kuku (Colubrina asiatica) to the list, with the statement that it 
"was often used for stupefying fish." He was. however, unable to 
recall his authority Init thought it w^as a man from Kauai. The 
writer has consulted old llawaiians from Oahu, Alaui, and Hawaii 
on the subject, and they deny that this shrub was used for narcot- 
izing fish. We ma\- admit the possibility that the plant was used 
for such a purpose on the Island of Kauai. The introduced Plu- 
me ria was mentioned by one Hawaiian as being used as a fish- 
poison, and there are probably niany other plants suitable for the 
])ur])()se. Ouicklime is said to have been tised in later times, occa- 
sionall}-. with auliuhu and akia. 

.luhu/ni is a small shrub, 1 to 3)1/2 feet high, growing in the 
()])en on the rock}- groimd of the coastal region and of the valley 
slopes. ]ts best (levelo])ment is reached in the dry sections below 
the 300- foot level, and it. has not been observed at a greater eleva- 
tion than 1000 feet above tlie sea. Its stock is perennial, foliating 
thickly, fruiting after heav\- rains, and {l\ing back in dry weather. 



Mlilk'brand. W. I'.. Id<.ra of tlie Hawaiian Islands, p. 7,^4, 1 IcidclherK, 
1888. 

"kmls. I. I*., IndiKtnoiis 'J'rccs of llu- Hawaiian Islands, p. 283, Hono- 
lulu. i()i.^ 

! 10 I 



FisJi-Poisoui)ig in the Ihncaiiaii Islaiuis 227 

It was gathered for Jwla during tlie growing period, as the natives 
assert that it was without l)itterness in its dormant stale. This hit- 
terness they associate with the poison. Phite XIX B ilhistrates a 
flowering and fruiting specimen from Oahu, al30Ut 2)^ feet high, 
found growing in a soil pocket on a limestone slope and crowded 
by exotic vegetation. 

In many localities aiiJiiihu has been exterminated. Among the 
contributory factors are the competition of introduced plants, the 
native method of gathering, and the ravages of goats and cattle. 

Heller, writing in 1897^, reported auhvhu growing plentifully 
on the western slope of Diamond Head, Oahu. but in 1920, at the 
right season, the writer searched for it unsuccessfully. A native 
of Oahu claimed to have gathered the plant in Heller's locality in 
1912, further asserting that this spot was noted for efficacious aii- 
liuhii. As for some years past, there have been dairy yards on the 
western side of the crater, and cattle trails high up on the slope 
were observed during the search mentioned, the disappearance of 
the plant in that locality was undoubtedly due to cattle. In 1919 
while on the Island of Hawaii, the writer learned the goats had 
extemiinated the aiihiihu in a pasture of 6 to 8 square miles. The 
native goat drivers (who were also fishermen) reported that the 
goats ate the entire i^lant and that cattle ate the plant wdien in the 
dormant, but not in the growing state — without, however, destroy- 
ing the root. Perhaps its greatest rival is the allied indigo^ ( Indi- 
gofcra anil L., introduced in 1836), which has found easy entrance 
on account of the fisherman's method of pulling up the auhuhu by 
the roots. 

To present-day Hawaiians akia as a fish poison is less known 
than auhuhu, though as a medicine it is still in use. The older 
Hawaiians speak of two kinds, akia nmnalo, or akia maoli, which is 
not bitter, and akia azvaawa, the bitter form. The bitter variety is 
said to have been used for fish poison. 

Hillebrand described seven species and four varieties of Wik- 
stroemia (akia) in the Hawaiian Islands, varying in size from 



' Heller, A. A., Plants of the Hawaiian Islands : Minnesota Geol. and 
Nat. Hist. Survey Bull. 9 (Minnesota Bot. Studies, vol. i), p. 833, 1894-1898. 
"Hillebrand. Op. cit. 

[II] 



228 ]'ish-Pois(^iii}ii:; in tJic Hawaiian Islands 

small shrubs to small trees, and rani^in^- from near sea level to an 
elevation of 7000 feet, l)ut generally found gTowing in the lower 
forests. As the native vegetation is receding- all these species be- 
come more and more difficult to find. 

The same author has the following- note on the genus'': "Like 
many other plants of this order, the ilawaiian Akeas [akia] con- 
tain an acrid narcotic principle, and are employed by the natives in 
common with Awa and Ahuhu [anJiuJiu] for narcotizing fish." He 
attaches the Ilawaiian name akia to Wikstrocniia foctida, var. 
oa Jul en sis, which appears to have been tlie form most widely spread 
through these islands. 

The writer has found it impossible to secure from the natives 
an identification of the particular form of akia used for fishing. 
Two specimens of the i)lant were collected on Oahu in 1^)20 by Mr. 
C. N. Forbes — mountain forms of JV. foctida and ]]\ cloni^ata. 
The first s])ecimen was shown to three natives, one of whom iden- 
tified it as akia niaoli, the medicinal form, lie did not know of 
akia having been used for fishing. The second native identified it 
as aJiiJii, a form of Mctrosidcros, and the third as koko, a medic- 
inal plant. Two of the men said they were acc[uainte{l with akia 
fishing. 

Afterwards another native was eng-aged to collect the akia awa- 
a7ca on Oahu. He returned confidently with a specimen of JJ\ foc- 
tida, of a slightly different form from that previously collected by 
Mr. Forbes. All the s])ecimens, including that of ll\ cloui^ata were 
then submitted to a native from the southern i)art of Kona in the 
Island of Hawaii, lie said they were not akia ai^aaica. 

The s])ecimens were then shown to the occupants of the Tuna- 
lilo Home for Aged llawaiians. Some recognized the first speci- 
men of //'. foctida as the real akia awaawa and rejected the second 
specimen. A rather forceful old man said that none of the speci- 
mens was the right one ; that the akia a^'oawa was a shrub about 
2j4 feet high with small leaves, almost round, and could be found 
growing at a certain i)lace on the north side of Oahu. 

The native from South Kona offered to send home for a sj^eci- 
men of the desired plant, but when it came, it was without blos- 

"Op cit. 

[12] 



PisJi-Poiso)ii)ig ill the //a-iCaliaii Islands 229 

soms. Mr. F()rl)es, however, recognized it as a loni>-leafe(l form 
of JV. sandi^'iccnsis. On a subsequent visit to the district of Puna, 
on the southeast coast of the Island of Hawaii, tlie writer made 
further inquiries concernino- the akin cm'aaica, was shown a shrul), 
and obtained a specimen which Mr. Forbes identified as coming- 
from a short-leafed form of JJ\ sandzciccnsis. 

While Hillebrand lists seven species and four varieties of 
Wikstroemia from these islands, the appearance of different speci- 
mens of the same species varies so greatly that the uninitiated 
might well suppose that the number of species was much greater. 
The blossoms are very small. From a consideration of the native 
accounts so far collected, it is evident that the term akia awaawa 
may be applied to many species of Wikstroemia, dependent on the 
uses to which local Hawaiians put them. 

Referring- to akia, Andrews^" notes : "The bark is used to 
poison fish in fresh water as auliuhu is in salt." Some of the 
older natives say that akia and auhuhu were used alike in fresh or 
salt water, but that auhuhu was much the stronger. An experiment 
tried in fresh water on imported small rainbow fish gave the fol- 
lowing results: — Auhuhu killed the fish in from 11 to 17 minutes, 
W. foetida in 38 minutes, and JV. clongata in 19 minutes. The 
idea probably intended to be conveyed by Andrews was that akia, 
being generally found in the mountains, usually served for stream 
poisoning, while auhuhu growing near the shore was used in the 
sea. It is doubtful if akia would be used were auhuhu available or 
in season. In these experiments, after the first fish died the 
others were placed in clean well-aerated water, but none of the 
fish recovered. 

The practice of ho! a has been almost, if not entirely aban- 
doned in the Hawaiian Islands, owing in part to a lessening of the 
available poison plants, but in a large degree, probably, to the 
adoption of the equally reprehensible and even more destructive 
method of fishing with dynamite. 

Fish-Poisoning in Samoa. 

For the following account of fish narcotization in Samoa the 
writer is indebted to Mr. E. J. Mooklar, a chemist who resided in 
^"Andrews, Lorrin, Hawaiian Dictionary, Honolulu, t86> 

[13] 



230 IusJi-Poiso)n')ig in the Hazvaiiau Islands 

Tutuila from 1901 to 1912 and frequently witnessed the process 
there. ]\Ir. Alooklar's description is more detailed than that of 
most writers on the subject of fish-poisoning in Southern Polyne- 
sia. 

The narcotic thai Mr. Mooklar saw in use was extracted from 
the unripe or green seed kernels of the futn (Barrinf^tonia spcci- 
osa). This tree is to be found growing luxuriantly along the 
.sandy beaches of all the islands of Samoa, frequently with its roots 
in the salt water and its branches overhanging the sea. The buoy- 
ant seeds drop into the water in great ([uantities and, while some 
are carried away b)- wind and ocean currents, large numbers are 
washed back again to the beach where they sprout readily. The 
seeds are somewhat pyramidal in form, the husk corklike and fib- 
rous. Those used for fishing are gathered from the trees. Though 
Seemann states that the husk was used, in the process seen by Mr. 
Mooklar (and other writers confirm Mr. ]\Iooklar's account) only 
the kerneP^ was taken, being either pounded in stone mortars or 
grated to a coarse meal. The grater was a piece of tin plate 
roughly punctured by nails, then 1)ent into semi-cylindrical form 
and fastened to a flat board. 

The fishing was done in pools left ]:)y the receding tide. Very 
soon after grating the prepared meal the fishermen threw it into 
the water by handfuls, where it sank slowly. The effect of the 
Ix)ison was quick, as in a few minutes the fish were observed float- 
ing helplessly on their sides on the surface of the pool. They 
were taken as rapidly as possible, as the natives believed that the 
fish would recover if permitted to float into untreated water. It 
was also stated that human beings were in no way affected by eat- 
ing the narcotized fish. While the process observed is modern it is 
probably similar to the older method, with the addition of the tin 
grater. 

Though Mr. Mooklar did not know of the use of any other 
fish-poisons, several writers have s[X)ken of other plants used for 
the ])urjxjse. Other fish-|x>isons reported as used in Samoa are 
Tcplirosia piscatovia, which according to Rrown^^ was mixed with 

" Secm.-inn, r.crthold. Mora Viticnsis. j). 1:^2, London, 1865- 187^^ 

'* ]*>rf)wn, Macniillan, .\blanrsians .and Tolyncsians, p. .^.^7, London, u)iO. 



I'isli-Poisouing ill the Ilaivaiiaii Islands 231 

taro when applied, and an unidentified beach vine mentioned by 
]\Irs. ChurchilP-', whose account is detailed and interestiniL^'. Tier 
•description of the plant su^^i^ests I poinca pcs-caf^rac or /. tcvcbrc- 
tlunn, but the bitter taste described is lacking^ in the Hawaiian 
Iponica. It is possible that the plant was Dcvris iilii^iuosd I'enth, 
which Seemann^"* reports as used for poisonin^^- fish in b'iji, and 
which approximately agrees with I\Irs. Churchill's description. The 
well-known writers on Samoa — Stair^'^' and Turner^" — do not men- 
tion fishing- by poison. 

The fish |K)ison most used in Polynesia in ancient times was 
from Barringtonia speciosa, which was plentiful in the South, ])ut 
did not grow in the Hawaiian Islands. According to Williams^' 
it was used by the Polynesians from Tahiti to Tonga, and other 
writers report its use in Fiji^'^, Guam^'\ and the Solomon Islands-". 
WHien in abundance its preparation was probably quicker than the 
poisons used by the Hawaiians, a fact which may explain the 
southern preference for the Barriiigionia. Tcplirosia piscatoria is 
reported by Gray-^ as occurring also in the Society group, Samoa, 
Tonga, and Fiji, and it was used in the Society Islands-^ and 
Samoa--"^. Wikstrocniia foctida was also found in the Society and 
■Marquesas groups, Samoa, and Fiji-^, and was used in the Society 
group mixed wdth Barringtonia-^ seeds. Seemann notes that neither 



^'' Churchill, Mrs. Llevvclla, Samoa 'Uma. p. 122, London and New York, 
n. d. 

" Seeman, Berthold, Viti, p. 339, Cambridge. 1862. 

'^ Stair. J. B.. Old Samoa, London. 1897. 

^^ Turner, George, Samoa a hundred years ago, London. 1884; Nine- 
teen years in Polynesia, London. t86i. 

" WilHams, John, Missionary enterprises, p. 501. London, 1838. See also 
Ellis. William. Polynesian researches, vol. i, p. 140, London, 1853; Christ- 
ian, F. W., Eastern Pacific lands, p. 65, London, 1910. 

^''* Seeman, Berthold. Viti. p. 339. Cambridge. 1862. 

''Safiford. W. E.. Useful plants of Guam: Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., vol. 
9, pp. 81-82. 

'"Guppy. H. B.. The Solomon Islands, p. 158. London. 1887. 

"^ Gray, Asa., U. S. Exploring Expedition, vol. 15, Botany, p. 407. Phila- 
delphia. 1854. 

-Ellis. Op. cit. 

■^ Brown. Op. cit. 

^*Gray. Op. cit. 

"^Seemann, Berthold. Flora Vitiensis. p. 207 (quoting Solander). 

[15] 



232 Pish-Poisoiu')i<:; in llic Hawaiian Islands 

this ])lanl nor Tc/^hrosia piscaforia were ()l)serve(l as tish poisons in 
Mji. 

UriI'I' List oi' Ri'KI'Iricxcics. 
Andrews. ],., Hawaiian dictionar)-. I lonoluln, 1865. 
liales, II. \\'., Tlie natnralist on llie Amazons, vol. 2, p. 82, 
London, 1863. 

Llair and Rol)ertson, The Philippine Lslands, vol. 43, p. 273, 
Ohio, 1006. 

i)Ock, Carl, The head hunters of Borneo, p. 252, London, 1882. 
l)rowm, George, Melanesians and Polynesians, pp. 323 and 337, 
London, 1910. 

Cain]:)hell, W^yai^e round the world, ]>. 196, Edinhurgh, 1816. 

Christian, F. W., The Caroline Lslands, p. 126, London, 1899. 

Christian, F. W., Eastern Pacific lands, p. 65, London, 1910. 

Churchill, L. P., Samoa 'Uma, p. 122, London and New York, 
n. (1. 

Ellis, AA'illiam, Polynesian researches, vol. 1, ]). 140, London, 
1853. 

lM)untain, I'aul, The great mountains and forests of South 
America. ])p .183 and 270, London, 1902. 

Gup]w, 11. I)., The Solomon Islands, p. 158, London, 1887. 

Male, A., On the Sakais : Jour. Anthr. Inst. London, vol. 15, 
]). 291. 

I lamlyn-I larris. R., and Smith F., On fish poisoning in 
(Jueensland : Mem. Oueensland ^lus., vol. 5, pj). 1-22. 

Ileller, A. A., Plants of the Hawaiian islands: Alinnesnta 
Geol. and Xat. Hist. Survey Lull. (Minnesota I'ot. Studies, I), 
p. K\^, 1897. 

Hillchrand, \V. F., Flora of the Hawaiian Islands. ])p. 94 and 
384, lleidelherg. 1888. 

Hodge, \\ \y . (ed.). Handbook of the American Indians 
north of Mexico. ])!. 2, Poisons: I', v^. I'ur. h'thn., 1910. 

Mann, 1''. H.. On the aboriginal inhabitants of the Andaman 
Islands, p. 14f), London, 1883. 

I 10 I 



fisIi-Poisoniiii:; in the I/iva'aiiaii Islands 233' 

Rock, J. F.. [luHs^cnous trees of the Hawaiian Islands, p. 283, 
Honolulu. 1913. 

Rose, J. N., \otes on useful plants of Mexico: Contr. U. S. 
Nat. Herb., 4, p. 257. 

Roth, H. Ling-, Natives of Sarawak and 1 British North Borneo, 
vol. 1, p. 458, I_/)ndon, 1896. 

Safford, W. E., Ireful i)lants (^f (niani: Contr. U. S. Nat. 
Herb.. 9, pp. 81, 196, 301. 

Scale, Alvin, Report of a mission to Guam : Occ. Papers, B. 
P. Bishop Mus., vol. 1, p. 61, Honolulu, 1901. 

Seemann, Berthold, Yiti, p. 339, Cambridge, 1862. 

Seemann, Berthold, Flora \'itiensis, pp. 65, 82, 207, London, 
1865-1873. 

Skeat, W. W., and Blagden, C. O., Pagan races of the Malay 
Peninsula, vol. I, p. 213, London, 1906. 

Watt, George, Dictionary of the economic products of India, 
vol. 3, p. 366, London, 1890. 

Williams, John, Missionary enterprises in the South Seas, p. 
501, London, 1838. 



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